Field of the Invention
The invention relates to communication in a wireless telecommunication system, and more particularly, to the registration of location information of individual wireless communication devices of a designated group in a wireless telecommunication system.
Description of the Related Art
In wireless telecommunication systems, Push-to-talk (PTT) capabilities are becoming popular with service sectors. PTT can support a “dispatch” voice service that operates over standard commercial wireless infrastructures, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), and global system for mobile communications (GSM). In a dispatch model, communication between endpoints (“end user devices”) occurs within virtual groups, wherein the voice of one “talker” is transmitted to one or more “listeners.” A single instance of this type of communication is commonly referred to as a dispatch call, or simply a PTT call. A PTT call is an instantiation of a group, which defines the characteristics of a call. A group in essence is defined by a member list and associated information, such as group name or group identification. A PTT group call generally comprises a PTT call with 3 or more group members. In the absence of a wireless multicast channel, each group is formed by the combination of separate point-to-point connections between each endpoint and PTT server. Each endpoint is also known as a client. Alternatively, when a group is reduced to two members and a PTT call is from one member to another, the PTT call would be a direct call between these two members.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art architecture 100 supporting PTT communications. The architecture includes the deployment of a single PTT server 112 region in conjunction with a carrier's CDMA infrastructure and packet data network. Each region of the PTT server 112 is deployed over a specific portion of a carrier packet data network. The PTT server 112 within the region may be routing traffic between one or more Packet Data Service Nodes (PDSNs) in the carrier network. A communication device 102 that supports the PTT feature is in communication with a base station (BS) 104. Each BS 104 may be in communication with one or more base station transceivers (BTS) 114. The base station 104 is in communication with a high speed network 106 and PTT communications received from the communication device 102 is sent through the base station 104 and the network 106 to a packet data service node (PDSN). The PDSN communicates with the high speed network 106 and a PTT server 112's network 108, which is connected to a PTT network 110. The PDSN forwards the PTT communications to a PTT server 112 in the PTT network 110.
The PTT server 112 handles PTT communications among members of a PTT group. The PTT server 112 receives a PTT communication from one member and forwards it to all members of the PTT group. The PTT communication is usually received as data packets from the network 110, and the PTT communication sent out by the PTT server 112 is also in data packet format. A packet data service node (PDSN) and a connected base station (BS) then established through a BTS 114 a dedicated traffic channel to transmit the PTT communication to a receiving mobile client (a PTT member).
FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art communication tower 202 connected to a BS 104 and transmitting radio signals in its coverage area where several wireless devices 102 are located. The BS 104 transmits a PTT call destined for two wireless devices 102. When a user initiates a PTT call destined to members of a PTT group, the PTT server 112 determines the location of each member and forwards the PTT call to each member. When two receiving members of a PTT call are served by a single BS 104, the BS 104 establishes one communication channel to each wireless device. If there is another incoming PTT communication to members of another PTT group in the same cell, the BS 104 needs to allocate resources and establishes additional traffic channels to each of other receiving PTT members.
Allocating resources for each PTT communication and establishing a traffic channel to support each PTT communication are important part of the PTT communication system. It is desirous to have a PTT communication system that can easily and efficiently manage the resources to support multiple PTT calls utilizing the specific location information of the various group devices.